This invention is generally directed to telecommunication systems, and is more specifically directed to providing the called party with additional options for handling an incoming call where it is not desired to answer the call immediately.
Telephone subscribers may receive an incoming telephone call at a time that is inconvenient to answer. For example, the subscriber may be engaged in an in-person conversation with another and does not desire to interrupt the current conversation to answer an incoming call. This situation is especially common for wireless subscribers that normally carry a cellular telephone. Assuming that the subscriber utilizes a voicemail service, the unanswered incoming call could be diverted to the subscriber's voicemail service giving the caller an opportunity to leave a message. However, this does not satisfy a need for an interactive conversation.
A common situation exists in which the called party does not wish to immediately answer an incoming call, but would be able to answer the incoming call within a short time, e.g. one or two minutes. Such a “deferred” answer may be preferable to both the calling and called parties. In many situations the ability to employ a defer answer may provide efficiencies. It eliminates the called party from having to retrieve a voicemail message and attempting to reach the other party by initiating a new call. From the calling party's perspective, it eliminates the uncertainty of when the called party will be available to retrieve a voicemail message and the uncertainty of possibly being unavailable to accept the return call.
Telecommunication systems offer wireless and wireline users the ability to subscribe to call waiting service. This service provides a subscriber engaged in a telephone conversation with another party with an alert indicating that the subscriber has another incoming call. The basic service provides an audible tone to the called party to indicate another incoming call is waiting. An advanced form of the call waiting service provides the called party with the telephone number and/or name of the call waiting party utilizing incoming call identification (CID). The called party after being alerted of the call waiting call can ignore the incoming call and continue the conversation with the other party, or can put the current party on hold and answer the incoming new call. Although the called party can return to the conversation with the other party after electing to answer the incoming new call, it is an interruption and often times an annoyance to both the other party and the called party. A defer answer capability would permit the called party to handle a call waiting caller without having to disrupt the conversation with the other party. Thus, there exists a need for a defer answer capability.